How to respond to a divorce you were served with in Connecticut

The deadline

Your Appearance is due within 30 days after the Return Date printed on the summons. The Return Date is not a hearing date; it is the date deadlines are counted from. If you do not file an Appearance, the court can enter judgment without hearing from you, in some cases as soon as 30 days after the Return Date. Filing the Appearance is a single form, there is no fee, and it does not mean you agree with anything in the Complaint. It means the court sends you notice of everything that happens in your case.

Court orders already apply to you

The papers you were served include a Notice of Automatic Court Orders. These orders took effect on both spouses the moment you were served, without a judge signing anything. Among other things, they restrict selling or hiding property, taking on unreasonable debt, changing insurance, and relocating children while the case is pending. Read that notice carefully; violating the automatic orders can be punished as contempt of court.

Your response: the Answer

The Answer responds to the Complaint paragraph by paragraph. For each numbered statement you mark Agree, Disagree, or Do Not Know. It also states your own requests to the court, called claims for relief. There is no fee to file an Answer. File it with your Appearance or as soon after as you can; the case moves whether or not you respond.

Asking for a divorce yourself: the cross complaint

You can also ask the court for a divorce on your own behalf by filing a cross complaint with your Answer. A cross complaint lets you state your own requests, and it keeps the case alive even if your spouse later withdraws theirs. Filing one is your choice, not a requirement. There is a court filing fee for a cross complaint. If you cannot afford it, you can ask the court to waive it.

Before you file, check these 4 things

• Your name, the docket number, and the court match the summons exactly.
• Your Appearance lists a mailing address where you will receive mail for the life of the case.
• Your Answer responds to every numbered paragraph in the Complaint, with none skipped.
• You have made at least 2 copies: one to keep and one for your spouse's side.

Filing at the clerk's office

Take or mail the signed forms to the clerk's office at the court listed on your summons. Ask the clerk to stamp your copies with the date received.

Filing online instead

You can file through the Judicial Branch's E-Services system at eservices.jud.ct.gov. Enroll to create a User ID and password, activate your account through the emailed link, then request electronic access to your case, which the clerk approves because your spouse started the case, not you. Choose your User ID carefully; it cannot be changed and appears on every document you file. If the deadline is close and you are not yet enrolled, paper filing at the clerk's office is the safer route.

Deliver a copy to your spouse's side

Mail or hand deliver a copy of what you file to your spouse, or to their attorney if one has filed an appearance. The certification section at the end of the Answer states when and how you delivered it. Fill it in before you file.

Two more deadlines start at the Return Date

Within 30 days of the Return Date, both spouses must complete sworn financial affidavits, exchange them, and file them. If there are children of the marriage under 18, each parent must complete a parenting education program within 60 days. Neither deadline waits for your Answer.

What happens next

A Connecticut divorce cannot be finished before a waiting period runs, so there is time to work toward agreement or prepare for the issues the court must decide. The court will set case dates and mail notice to the address on your Appearance, so keep it current with the clerk. If you and your spouse reach a full agreement, the court reviews it; if not, contested issues move toward hearings.

Where to get help

Connecticut's Court Service Centers offer free help for self-represented parties. The clerk's office can answer questions about procedure but cannot give legal advice. Legal aid organizations serve people who qualify. If you want legal advice, talk to a licensed Connecticut attorney.